The founders of Dudley Bros., photographed in 1927, were Gail, Tom and Eltos Dudley.

Courtesy photo

BALLINGER — Since 1962, the Dudley Bros. Ranch on the Colorado River, 10 miles west of this Runnels County seat, has been the fall calving headquarters for one of the nation's oldest, largest and most respected Registered Hereford herds.

"Although my father, Gail, and his brothers, Tom and Eltos, established Dudley Bros in 1927 in Comanche County, they got into the Hereford business in 1938 after inheriting some of the original land founded by my

The Dudley brothers operated a mercantile in Comanche along with their ranching enterprises. For many years, travelers could spot the tire and Dodge dealership on the northeast side of the Comanche County courthouse square. Now days, an office building, barn and pens complex located at the Comanche County ranch entrance, two miles west of town on U. S. Highway 67 and 377, is the nerve center for Dudley Bros. Ltd. The annual Hereford bull sale in October attracts several hundred folks from across the United States seeking the Dudley Hereford genetics.

John Dudley is president of Dudley Bros. Ltd., the family owned partnership which is operated by six direct descendants of J. H. Dudley Jr. — Gail's sons: James "Jim", John Eltos and Tom Joe "T.J." and Eltos' sons: Ray Marshall, Tom Robert "T.R." and Harold "Harry".

John said the 10,000 acre Runnels County ranch is suitable rangeland for the cattle operation. It is bounded on the north by several miles of the Colorado River. Even though they spent lots of money on brush control working with the Great Plains program, an early day U.S. Department of Agriculture soil conservation plan, mesquite have returned in recent years.

"The brush is extra thick in former cropland and parts of the pasture, making it tough to roundup cattle, but our deer hunters like the mesquite for wildlife cover," John said. "The place has become a haven for whitetail deer, quail and turkey."

Ballinger is 36 miles northeast of San Angelo and Comanche is 122 miles northeast of San Angelo.

Born March 19, 1848, in Cobb County, Georgia, James Hudson Dudley Jr. came to Texas and purchased 2,756 acres near Comanche after receiving a letter from a friend who described it as the prettiest place he had ever seen.

He established the town of Democrat between 1900 and 1907, 11 miles south of Comanche, when the post office was relocated in his general store. Besides the Dudley general store, a barbershop and blacksmith shop were in Democrat. Through the years, several generations of Dudleys would add additional ranch property to total nearly 20,000 acres in Comanche County.

"C.R.M. Dudley was my grandfather," John said. "Early in their marriage, he and my grandmother lived at the original ranch location, but moved into Comanche and formed the mercantile company. So, my father and his brothers grew up in town and spent weekends and summers at the ranch."

Standard-Times: How did your family get into ranching?

John Dudley: My great grandfather, James Hudson "J.H." Dudley Jr., bought land in Central Texas.

What keeps you in business?

The Hereford cattle business. The English bred cattle are one of the most popular breeds in the country because they are bred to meet the quality beef demand of American consumers.

What is the most unique feature of the ranch?

In Runnels County, the Colorado River is the most unique feature. In Comanche County, the Callahan Divide which is the rolling small mountain range between the Colorado and Brazos rivers is special. The Dudley ranch also had Mercer and Indian creeks located on the property.

How have you diversified the operation?

We have capitalized on the popularity of hunting on both ranches.

What's the history of the family brand?

A backward "D" attached to a "B" is the brand registered by the Dudley Bros. in the 1930s.